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My great great grandfather, Thomas Francis, was the son of James Francis and his wife Jane Williams of Llanferres, Denbighshire, Wales and was baptised there on 13 December 1789.

Thomas became a farmer. As an adult, his home was at Maesyllan (called The Meadows in 2006), Llanarmon yn Ial, near Ruthin, Denbighshire, about 300 metres west of the Parish Church. Maesyllan was built about 1722. In 1786, the rates on Maesyllan were 1s 8d.

MARRIAGE

On 4 January 1829, in the Parish Church of Llanarmon yn Ial, Thomas Francis (of that parish) and Sarah Edwards (also of that parish) were married by Licence by John Denman, Vicar. The witnesses were Edward Griffiths (who signed using his mark) and Mary Edwards (Entry no. 143 in the Parish Register). The Licence (SA/172/4, now in the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth) was granted on 3 January 1829, the day before their wedding, and records Thomas as being of Maes Llan, Llanarmon. Sarah was already 5 and a half months pregnant with their first child.

Llanarmon yn ial Parish Church

Sarah was born on 21 March 1807 in Llanarmon yn Ial and baptised there on 24 March 1807. Her baptismal entry in the Parish Register records that she was the daughter of "Peter Edwards, grocer by Sarah his wife, formerly Sarah Woodward of Llan". (Richard Jones kindly sent me the following details: Sarah Woodward was baptised 29 March 1782 in Llanferres, the daughter of Adam Woodward and his wife Mary, nee Parry, and was one of six children. She married Peter Edwards on 14th September 1802.)

CHILDREN

The reason Thomas and Sarah were married by Licence, rather than the more usual Banns, may be that they married in a hurry (not enough time to publish the Banns). Their first child was born 3 months later! The Parish Registers of Llanarmon yn Ial record the following baptisms of children of Thomas Francis of Maes y Llan, farmer and of Sarah his wife:

The last 4 were baptised by E Evans, Vicar. As later Censuses show, they had another daughter, Sarah, born about 1838.

1844 TITHE COMMUTATION AGREEMENT

The Tithe Commutation Agreement of 29 March 1844 for the Parish of Llanarmon yn Ial, near Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales records Thomas as the occupier of 98 Acres 0 Roods and 17 Perches (including the house) at Maesyllan, Llanarmon yn Ial owned by Wilson Jones Esq., for which an annual Rentcharge of £10 5s 0d would be payable to the Rector of the Parish:

No.on
Tithe Map

Name & Description
Of Land & Premises

State of
Cultivation

Quantities in
Statute Measure
A R P

Amount of
Rentcharge
payable to Rector
£ s d

127

House Yard Garden etc.

1 2

-

128

Cae tanty

Arable

3 1 13

13 0

129

Yr erw

Arable

5 0 28

19 0

130

Cae calch

Arable

4 1 28

17 0

131

Bryn Cach

Arable

7 0 10

1 3 0

132

Bryn mawr

Arable

9 2 26

1 10 0

133

Llysfaen

Arable

10 0 13

1 16 0

134

Cae Coch

Pasture

7 0 20

18 0

135

Waenissa

Arable

3 3 10

7 0

136

Cae glas

Arable

3 1 7

6 0

137

Waen

Arable

7 3 10

11 0

138

Cae Defaid

Pasture

3 0 10

4 0

139

Ffridd ganol

Arable

16 2 16

17 6

140

Ffridd ucha

Pasture

10 2 10

3 6

141

Nant Rhos goch

Waste of Road

5 3 14

-

TOTAL

98 0 17

10 5 0

That Tithe Commutation Agreement also records Thomas as the occupier of 14 Acres 2 Roods and 10 Perches at Llanarmon yn Ial (including a cottage) owned by Samuel Sapworth Esq., for which an annual Rentcharge of £2 10s 0d would be payable to the Rector of the Parish:

No.on
Tithe Map

Name & Description
0f Land & Premises

State of
Cultivation

Quantities in
Statute Measure
A R P

Amount of
Rentcharge
payable to Rector

415

Cae Nesa Llan

Arable

2 2 6

9s 4d

416

Cae newydd

Arable

2 0 12

7s 4d

417

Cae crwn

Arable

2 1 16

7s 5d

418

Erw r efel

Arable

2 2 10

10s 0d

419

Cae bychan

Arable

1 3 18

6s 3d

420

Cae carreg

Arable

2 3 25

9s 8d

420a

Cottage etc.

1 3

-

TOTAL

14 2 10

£2 10s 0d

1851 CENSUS

The 1851 Census for Llanarmon records Thomas, his wife Sarah and their children at Maes y Llan:

Thomas Francis, Son, age 19, born Llanarmon (He married a Sarah, lived at Llwyn y Fran and was buried in Llanarmon yn Ial, age 32 on 4 July 1863 by Edward Jones, curate - Bishops Transcript no. 1465 - a daughter Christiana was born just before or soon after his death. His widow Sarah, of Llwyn y Fran, was buried in Llanarmon yn Ial, age 52, on 15 November 1883, by E Evan, Vicar - Bishops Transcript no. 387, as was their daughter Christiana Francis of Llwynyfran, age 22, on 12 January 1886 - Bishops Transcript no. 447)

On 18 June 1858, Thomas and Sarah's daughter Jane, born in February 1833, married Edward Puleston of Plas Newydd, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Denbighshire (about 3 miles from her home) in Llanarmon yn Ial Parish Church.

1861 CENSUS

In the 1861 Census for Llan and Llarnarmon, the family is recorded at Maes y Llan as Frances:

Thomas Frances, Head, Farmer, age 71, born Llanferres, Denbighshire

Sarah Frances, Wife, age 55, born Llanarmon

Sarah Frances, Daughter, age 23, born Llanarmon

Sarah Moss, Servant, age 15, born Llanarmon

Evan Roberts, Servant, Carter, age 18, born Llanarmon

John Lloyd, Servant, Agricultural Labourer, age 17, born Llanarmon

Evan Jones, Servant, Cowman, age 16, born Llanarmon.

On 8 February 1864, Thomas Francis, age 74, of Maesllan was buried in Llanarmon yn Ial by John Jones, Vicar (Bishops Transcript no. 1490).

Thomas's widow, Sarah, survived another 33 years. Sarah Francis, widow, born about 1807, appears in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 Censuses for Llanarmon, living in the village, at 11 Yale Cottage and Tyn y Pistyll (the next entry is for Maes Llan) respectively. On 8 November 1897, Sarah Francis, "Yale Cottage, late Maesllan", age 91, was buried in Llanarmon yn Ial by E Evans, Vicar (Bishops Transcript no 613) - the same E Evans who baptised her second child in 1831!?

My great great great grandfather, James Francis was baptised in Llanferres on 25 December 1758, the son of Richard Francis and his wife Anne Jones. On 16 April 1787, James married Jane Williams in Llanferres. He was buried, while living at Ty yn y Fedw, in Llanferres on 28 March 1805.

Jane Williams was baptised in Llanferres on 8 January 1756, the daughter of Robert Williams and Mary Humphrey (who married there on 11 February 1755, the witnesses being William Williams and Thomas Humphrey). She was buried there on 30 March 1806.

My great great great great grandfather Richard Francis was baptised in Mold on 28 November 1736 and was the son of Richard and Martha Francis of Fron, Mold. On 1 May 1758, whilst still living in Mold, he married Anne Jones. Anne was probably the Ann (sic) Jones, daughter of Edward and Ann Jones, who was baptised in Llanferres in 1738, in which case she would have been a similar age to Richard when they married.

Richard and Martha Francis had 5 sons, all baptised in Mold Parish Church: